1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a pump for pumping a fluid which also chops solid material into smaller pieces, more suitable for transport and/or treatment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known in the art to provide a pumping system for transporting sewage or other fluid containing solids. However, such pumping systems typically must be provided with a filter system to remove the solid waste prior to pumping. Although filter systems are often sufficient to prevent such clogging, the filters themselves often become clogged and must be cleaned or replaced often to facilitate the clean flow of fluid to the pump. Alternatively, an impeller system may be employed to chop the solids to prevent them from damaging or clogging the pumping system. Such impeller type systems used to chop the solid waste are typically adequate to chop the solid waste sufficiently fine to prevent damage to the pump system. Such impeller systems, however, are expensive and complicated to manufacture and typically require the input of an additional power source to run them.
Based on the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide a pumping system which did not require a screen or separate impeller system to prevent solid waste from causing damage to the pump. The difficulties encountered in the prior art discussed hereinabove are substantially eliminated by the present invention.